Officer charged over exotic fish imports

An Australian government worker has been accused of helping import exotic fish and selling them online using a fake name.

The senior biosecurity officer at the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources was charged in November following an investigation into five illegal imports involving Vietnamese and Malaysian nationals in 2017 and 2018.

Department officials later discovered evidence allegedly linking the employee to one of the Malaysians.

Authorities were also anonymously tipped off about the suspected illegal sale of fish on Facebook.

Investigators raided the man's Sydney home last month, finding several rare fish and more than $10,000 in suspected proceeds of crime.

The man has been charged with three offences, including abusing public office and illegally importing goods.

"The alleged conduct of this man is an abuse of public office, and the AFP owes it to the community to investigate and prosecute these matters to the full extent of the law," Australian Federal Police Detective Acting Superintendent Simone O'Mahony said in a statement on Thursday.

DAWR's Peta Lane said the man's alleged activities were first spotted during internal investigations.

"The alleged illegal importation of exotic fish threatens the integrity of Australia's biosecurity, so it's a very serious offence," she said.